Shoe and shank stiffener therefor



Dec. 8, 1931. R. a. BARTELS SHOE AND SHANK STIFFENER THEREFOR Filed March 11, 1929 '30 the wearer assumes that the shoe is defective Fi 1 i a perspective i f a h k In accordance with the present invention, ure 1 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

nnmnhnn B. ia RTELs, or MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS .AN'D SHANK STIFEENER THEREFOR Application filed March 11, 1929. Serial No. 345,952.

} It is sometimes desirable to produce a disby a rivet tothe forward portion of any detinctive shape in the sole of a shoe at the ball sired form of metal shank stiffener. This line, such, for example, as the cottage or fiber may be cut and molded on a steel press circular. Heretofore this has commonly asvwhen metal is used, but it has more resil- 5 been done by the use of a specially formed ience than the molded metal so that it does 50 shoe shank stiffenerby either one of two not cause discomfort to the wearer, nor tend methods. In accordance with one of these in the same degree to wear through the outer methods a plain steel shank stiffener has been sole. Even should it wear through the outer used molded to the shape which it is desired sole and showv it does not present a metallic to produce on the shoe sole. In accordance appearance to the wearer so that he is not 5; with the other method a relatively narrow likely to think that the shoe is defective. steel shank stiffener has been provided with This vulcanized fiber, however, is suiiiciently a full length cover, either attached or sepafirm to retain its molded c0nfigurati0n,-alrate, and made of a rather soft fiber-board though it is sufiiciently yielding to cause no molded to the shape which it is desired to discomfort to the wearer of the shoe, and it 60 produce. is not adverselyaffected by moisture.

When the first method is employed the A further advantage of this construction Weight of the wearer of the shoe falls on the resides in the fact that it can be used with V outer portion of the shank stiffener which is any desired form of metallic stiffener, and is apt to force the inner portion up against he not as bulky as the combination of metal 05 foot causing pressure to be exerted against stiffener with the full length fiber cover. It i the sensitive bones at the forward Par Of is also possible to associate molded tips of any the arch, to the great discomfort Of the desired shape with the same form of metal wearer. This is particularly lia l t0 1 stiffener so that any desired configuration at if the stiffener is not positioned precisely as the ball line ofthe sole maybe produced very 70 it should be in the shoe. In use also it has dil been found that such a stiffener has a tend- For a more complete understandingof this ency to wear through the outer sole at the invention reference may be had to the acball line and as soon as the metal appears companying d i i hi h 1 and returns it for credit. When the second stiffener having a fiber tip suitable to promethod is employed the fiber cover must exd th t,t fl ;t,

' tend substantially the full length of the Figures 2 and 3 are top and side views, re

stiffener in order that it may be securely held fi l f th ti alone in place and as it is very susceptible to mois- Fi u 4 i a i i il t Fi 2, b t 8 ture, It does not old S sh p Well Wlllle showing a pair of tips made lefts and ri hts. in service. It is also bulky and causes the Fi 5 d 3 are t d id i, f shank portion of the sole of the shoe to be a ti f th i 1 b ll li relatively thick. Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Fighowever, the shape at the ball line is pro- Figure 8 is a side elevation partly in secduced by'a relatively small tip member 1noldtion of a shoe showing the shank stiffener of ed to the desired contour from a water-re- Figure 1 in position therein. sistant highly resilient material such as hard Referring to Figure 1, at l is shown a mevulcanized fiber which is easily secured as tallic'shoe stiffener which may be of any suitable type, but as shown comprises afdouble metallic strip curved to the desired longitudinalcurvature of the shank portion of 'a shoe and provided adjacent to'its' ends with prongs 2 and 3 by which it may be seecured to an inner sole. To the forward end of this shank stiffener is fixed the tip 5 which I is made of material resistant to moisture, but highly resilient, such, for example, as vulas the-cottage effect at the b'al li hne :of the shoe;- At 14' is showna perforation: through the tip to receivea rivet such as15 bywhich with its tip 5 located so thatithepoint-13 is" canized fiber of the type commonly known in the trade as granite fiber. This material may be slightly temperedrbyetreating it with hot water for a suitable period and then may be molded to the desired configurasc tion by. presses such as used for moldingmetal articles. It may also be cutby'the'usualmetal" cutting dies but cannotvbesuccessfullytreated V by devices usually used for molding and'icut ting the softer grades of fiberboard;

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 this tip is molded to form: three plane'portions'7, Sand 9 angularly related to each: other to form the relatively sharp: edges 19, 11 and 12 inter secting atill. These sharp edgesand theresultant point at 13' conformto whatis known the-tip may besecured to the forward lend of the stiffener 1. Where it is desired to make thetip's: rights :andlefts they may be made as shown in: Figurex' iinwhich the outer forward-end portions of the tip are extended 'as shown at 205 Where a circular ball line .is desired-, the tip may "be molded to form a rounded. projection 25 in place of therpoint' 13 aswshownfin Figures 1 to 4, r

In Figure 81 is shown a-shoe having an:

outersole' 30 and an inner sole 31. Between these two solesiis positionedthestiffener-1' atitheball-line jof thefoot and positioned laterally where the desiredpoint'32 on the outerfaceofthe outer sole is to: be positioned as is shown-in Figures 7 and-8. Latera-lly' 1 in opposite directions from the p0int'32, the face of'sthe. outer sole sl'opes upwardly as is shown at33and-34 on Figure 7.KIn:-this figure a single: strip metal stiffener is shownr Where the round ball lineis desired the cireular" tipfas shown in Figures 5 .and- 6' will be used, but itwill be positioned substantially in the same manner as the tip shown in Figure 8. i

,The same construction, of'cou-rse, mightbe applied to a turn sh oe, the stiffener 1 being applied .inlaccordance with usual practice to the lower vface of the usual shank piece in stead of to the inner sole asin the case ofwelt and McKay shoes as is well known to those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described" certain embodi ments of this invention', it: should be evident that I various changes and modifications might beh'made therein without departing.

from its spirit or scope as defined by the api pended claims. By the term tip as used in these claims, I mean a member which does not extend rearwardly for the full or the major portion of the length of the metal stiffener I to which it is attached but which extends only so far back as to permit it to be secured to the metal stiffener and to conform to the shoesole contour at the ball or break line of the sole.

I claim: 7 i

1. A device of the class described comprising'a metallic shank stiffener terminating at its forwardend short ofth'e ball 'line of a shoe sole, and a tip of hard vulcanized fiber -molded to. thecontour of the desired ball line of said'soleand'securedto the forward end ofzsaidstiffener, p p

t 2; A shoecomprisi'ng inner and outer soles,

a metallicashoesh ank stiffener positioned between said soles, and atip'of water-resistant hard vulcanized 'fiber molded to the desired contour of theb'all lineof the sole positioned between'said soles atsaidball line and at the fkirwa rd end of said stiffener" and serving to maintain the ball line contour of the shoe.

Intestimon-y' whereof- I- have affixed my signature;-

v REINHA'RD B; I'BARTELS. j 

